Photo by Melissa Gerrits
Little Rock Catholic wide receiver Adam Shepherd (86) looks to make a move against North Little Rock safety Kalon Brown during Friday’s night’s game.The Rockets got a touchdown in overtime to pull out a victory in their season opener.

Senior running back Lance Harville-Thomas scored on a 7-yard touchdown run in overtime, and the Rockets held off the Charging Wildcats 32-25 on Friday night at Charging Wildcat Stadium.

North Little Rock was playing its first game in its $7.5 million stadium that is part of the North Little Rock School District's $245 capital improvement project. It also was Jamie Mitchell's first game as Charging Wildcats head coach after taking over for Brad Bolding in the offseason.

North Little Rock junior Alex Day ran for 181 yards, but it wasn't enough against the Rockets.

"We got down, but we picked up in the second half," Catholic Coach John Fogleman said. "It looked like we might be tired and dead, but we started playing with a little bit of a hunger."

Day ran 51 yards for a game-tying touchdown that tied the score at 25-25 with 1:56 left.

North Little Rock won the toss to start overtime and went on defense, but Harville-Thomas scored from 7 yards out to put the Rockets ahead 32-25.

The Charging Wildcats gave the ball to Day on their first play in overtime, but he fumbled and senior Drake Enderlin recovered it for the Rockets to end the game.

""You feel for the kid that it has to end like that," Fogleman said. "What a great game. What a high school environment."

It was a tough way for the Charging Wildcats to end their first game in their new stadium, Mitchell said.

"We didn't make the plays when we needed to make them," Mitchell said.

Harville-Thomas rushed for 106 yards and 1 touchdown, a 25-yard run in the third quarter, on 24 carries. He also returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.